James
Bond films are supposed to be filled with intrigue and twists -- but that's
not necessarily supposed to extend to the behind-the-scenes stuff. That's
exactly what's going on, however, since "Skyfall" director Sam
Mendes reportedly took himself out of the running to direct a followup to his
2012 entry in the Bond canon -- and the most successful 007 film to date.

As Eon Productions zeroes in a director for the so-called
"Bond 24," A-list names like Christopher
Nolan, Ang Lee and Nicolas Winding Refn have all circulated as potential
Mendes successors. But now, Deadline
reports that Mendes is back in the picture, with MGM and Sony Pictures re-starting
talks to bring him back to direct Daniel Craig's Bond.

Mendes' name was first taken out of the running because of
the time commitment he needed to launch a West End stage production of "Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory," which will be followed by a new stage production of
"King Lear" scheduled for early 2014. But after first apparently moving on, Bond
producers Michael Wilson and Michael Broccoli are apparently willing to wait
for him to honor his obligations, with production on "Bond 24" put off until
next year, Deadline says.

As to whether they stick to that plan is anyone's guess. The
Hollywood Reporter cites unnamed insiders as saying Mendes' return is "unlikely,"
given those stage commitments. Even if that's the case, though, THR speculates
his legacy on the Bond franchise will be lasting in that -- with the $1.1
billion "Skyfall" haul -- he has transformed it into a series that is proving
attractive to such top-shelf names as Nolan, Lee and Refn.

"They are auteurs and visionaries, men
who are used to commanding their cinematic universes but who would be working
under the aegis of Eon, which has strict control over the handling of the Bond
franchise, if they were to take on the assignment," THR's Borys Kit writes. "They
are also a far cry from the directors of the Bond movies from the 1970s and
'80s, such as Guy Hamilton and John Glen,
British helmers who were journeymen -- proficient at the job but did not make
their mark beyond the 007 pictures."

The Los Angeles Times:
Could
"Behind the Candelabra" have been successful in a theatrical release? That
was originally the plan for Steven Soderbergh's Liberace biopic, until Warner
Bros. lost interest. Then it debuted at Cannes last week, ahead of its
broadcast premiere on HBO. In the process, it delivered the premium network its
best audiences since 2004's "Something the Lord Made Me."